The present invention relates to fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to a modular means for securing fuel injectors in place on an intake manifold, cylinder head, or any chamber associated with the induction system of an internal combustion engine and also for providing a continuous supply of fuel to side feed/bottom feed fuel injectors.
In the prior art, the most common means of securing and providing fuel to the fuel injectors of a fuel injection system involved the use of "fuel rails". Fuel rails are rigid members which provide a means of support for a number of injectors and also supply them with fuel by pipe-like passages in the fuel rail. A significant drawback with fuel rails is the fact that each different engine design requires a uniquely designed fuel rail, or, in some cases, two different designs. This requires large inventories to be kept by manufacturers and dealers, with associated costs being very high for manufacture and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,483 to Blisko et al. discloses a fuel injection system in which fuel rails are not used, and instead the fuel injectors are secured directly against the intake manifold by clamps. The clamps also function to supply fuel to the injectors. While this system avoids the use of fuel rails, it is specifically designed for use with diesel engines. An additional disadvantage is that the clamps used to secure the individual injectors are complex and require a relatively large number of parts. For these reasons that design is less than satisfactory for use in internal combustion engines with spark ignition systems.